Hose supporting accessory



May 11, 1937. R. D. PARRY HOSE SUPPORTING ACCESSORY Filed Juhe 10, 1955Robe/'2 Q Parry I Sumo/1 w Patented May 11, 1937 UNI TED QFFIQE HOSESUPPORTING ACCESSORY Ohio Application June 10, 1935, Serial No. 25,801

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to the art of supporting hosiery ofpractically all kinds and styles and has for an object the provision ofsimple, effective and inconspicuous means adapted to 5 be associateddetachably or otherwise to the top portion of the hose and to cooperatewith a limb encircling garter or elastic band retaining these articlesof wear smoothly and snugly in position and without excessiveconstrictive force of the garter or encircling band.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means of this kind thatis susceptible to a variety of embodiments that are well adapted to thedifferent kinds of hosiery now commonly worn by women and children andalso by men.

A further object of the invention is to provide an accessory of theclass described in combination with a limb encircling garter for usewith womens full length hose, whereby the use of a 20 garter belt may beeliminated together with the disadvantages attending the use of thelatter.

A further object of the invention is to provide certain kinds of womensand mens hose having the device of the invention permanently embodiedtherein.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an accessory ofthis character that is of particular use with womens three quarterlength hose and also with the so-called golf hose.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein anddisclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmental perspective view showing a full length stockingoperatively associated on a limb with a garter and with the accessoriesof the invention in the form of garter clips operatively associated withthem.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a clip of the type shown in Fig. 1separated from the hose and garter.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modification of the device shown inFig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental perspective view showing a modified form of theaccessory of the invention operatively associated with a three-quarterlength stocking.

Fig. 6is a perspective view of the clip shown in Fig. 5, but separatedfrom the hose.

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view taken on line l---'! of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a fragmental perspective view showing the accessory of theinvention permanently embodied at the top of a stocking.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

The problem of supporting hose of various kinds on the limbs of wearerspresents difiiculties varying with the type of hosiery.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3,there is shown the form of hose supporting accessory of the inventionthat is particularly adapted to replace the well-known garter belt withits plurality of depending straps and hose fasteners at the end thereof.The thigh encircling hose supporting garter is not universallyacceptable among those wearing full length hose for the reason that theconstrictive force of the garter necessary to hold the. hose in adjustedposition is in various cases uncomfortable. A less constrictive forceexerted by the garter is in manyother instances insuflicient to supportthe hose in a fashion satisfactory to the wearer. As

shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the hose I!) normally has a specially knittedtop portion II which may be encircled by any suitable fiat elasticgarter l2 and then rolled once, so that the extreme top edge I 3 of thehose I0 is adjacent the top inside edge of the garter. The top portion Hof the hose I 0 thus passes downwardly on the inside of the garter at I4 then across the bottom edge of the garter and upwardly over theoutside thereof at l5 and again downwardly over the edge l3 as shown atHi. This preparation forms a fold of the hose and garter as shown inFigs. 1 and 3 and the garter clips are now ready to be applied to thefront and back. Each of said garter clips consists essentially of a pairof leaves or plates I! and I8 hingedly connected together at the tops asat I9. The front plate has one or more integral portions 20 bent fromthe body thereof so as to provide an open topped way 2| that permitsthe. portions 20 to be inserted upwardly between the fold l4 and theportion l6 of the hose and so that the garter and the surroundingportions of the hose may be entered completely into the way 2| as shownin Figs. 1 and 3. When inserting the clip, the hingedly connected plateI8 is swung into the approximate plane of the front plate El andthereafter the hose and garter is stretched sufiiciently away from thewearer's thigh to permit plate l8 to swing downwardly into the inside ofthe hose so that when the garter is allowed to exert its normal mildelastic force on the limb of the wearer, the plate l8 will be pressedfirmly, but mildly, against the wearer. The face of plate l8 which isadjacent the wearer is covered with a thin sheet of soft material whichpresents a multiplicity of tiny suction cups so that when o of springmaterial in contact with the skin, it will not easily slide thereoverwhen any mild pressure is exerted thereon. The patch of sheet material22 is preferably made of soft sponge rubber which characteristicallypresents a myriad of tiny depressions or suction cups 23 on the surfacethereof. It is to be understood that molded soft rubber having amultiplicity of tiny depressions in the surface thereof, may also beused.

When the hose with the mounted thereon as shown in garter and clips inspite of the usual stresses and strains incident to walkng, sitting,bending, etc., as well. as under unusual strains such as in running.This is due to the fact that the"antislip patch 22 will cause thecontacting adjacent flesh to move with it rather than to slip beneath itso that when the strain is relieved, the tendency of the clip and thehose and garter associated therewith is to return to its normal adjustedposition.

In the form just described, the hose supporting accessory is adapted tofabrication from thin sheets of metal of non-corrosive or suitableplated type, and can further be fabricated asan article of preciousmetal ware. Any other thin and fairly rigid material such as phenoliccondensation products, nitro-cellulose products, etc., may be employedin lieu of metal. The clip of Fig. 2 is to be understood as beingsubject to a variety of modifications as to design and is, of course,understood to be susceptible to various modes of ornamentation.

Fig. 4 illustrates a particularly simplified modification of the deviceshown in Fig. 2, and consists of an apertured rear plate 24 coveredcompletely on the outerface with antislipmaterial 25 of the characterpreviously described and is hingedly connected as at 26 to a front plate21 which is turnedas at 28 to provide a way 29 for receiving a flatgarter band and the top of a stocking as previously described. Theupturned portion 30 is of such size and shape as to enter the aperturein rear plate 24 and to be held therein by the garter so that a verythin and compact assembly results. The member 30 presses flatly againstthe sponge rubber 25 when the device is in use.

For hose of the so-called three quarter length in which the top of thehose has embodied therein some form ofelastic material within thegeneral catagory of garter top hose, the invention conveniently takes asimpler form such as a U shape clip of the type shown in Fig. 6. Theclip indicated at 31 is in this embodiment preferably such as springmetal providing integrally resilient and yiel-dably connected arms 32and 33 which conveniently have contact with one another at or near thefree edges thereof as indicated at 34. Depressions 35 in the front leaf32 provide bosses 36 on the contacting side so that the inserted top 31of the hose may be firmly gripped between the leaves. The integralelastic portion 38 constituting the garter top may be of any approvedtype and the particular design thereof forms no part of the presentinvention. On the outside face of the leaf 33 is adhesively or otherwiseafiixed' a covering 39 of the sponge rubber or other suction typeanti-slip Fig. 1 is adjusted. to the desired position, it will remain soadjusted material which is intended to contact the leg of the wearerwhen used on hose that reach a height below the knee. It is to beunderstood however that while this form of garter clip is consideredadmirably adapted to the shorter hose, it may effectively be applied tofull length hose if such be provided with an integral or otherwiseattached elastic garter band portion.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the invention may be embodied in its simplestform in garter top hose and mens one-half hose with elastic bands woveninto the tops thereof by permanently securing, by stitching orotherwise, to the inside of the hose, at places which normally contactthe leg or ankle, a small thin patch of sponge rubber 40, the patches 40to be disposed beneath the integral elastic band portion M of the hose.

From the foregoing it will be noted that in each of the embodimentsillustrated, the invention has taken the form of small spots or patchesof suction type surfaced material to be disposed against the wearerslimb, and means to fix the same relative to the inside of the top of anarticle of hosiery under an encircling garter band.

This type of pad is of a readily washable type of material and, forsanitary purposes as well as for efiectiveness in holding the article ofhosiery and the garter in adjusted position, is superior to certainheretofore proposed pile fabric materials and other materials presentingprotuberances to the wearers limb instead of tiny suction cups. The pilefabrics are unpleasant to numerous persons and protuberances areirritating to some skins and therefore not desirable.

The devices will be understood to be subject to minor modifications andstructural changes within the spirit of the invention and the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A garter clip of the class described comprising an apertured rearplate, a front plate hingedly connected thereto and having a rearwardlyand upwardly turned portion providing a way for the reception of astocking top and asso ciated garter, said turned portion adapted forentry in the aperture in the rear plate and an exteriorly disposedanti-slip covering material over the rear plate, and the aperturetherein adapted for contact by said turned portion of the front plate.

2. In a device of the class descrlbed the combination with a stockingtop, of a garter adapted to exteriorly encircle the exterior of thestocking on the wearers limband' to have-the stocking top enfoldeddownwardly and about it, a plate-member having a way therein adapted toreceive the lower edge of the garter and stocking top folded about thegarter, a second plate hingedly connected with said first-mentionedplate and'adapted to be passed over the top edge of the garter and thestocking enfolded thereabout and .to be disposed interiorly of thestocking, and a thin cushion of friction material on a face of saidsecond plate adapted to' contact directly upon the limb of the wearerand to be mildly pressed thereon by the exteriorly disposed encirclinggarter.

ROBERT D. PARRY.

